skatin' ~~ taegyu [ON HOLD]

6: guardian angel

a week later, beomgyu was sitting in his school cafeteria with jeongin, hueningkai, and soobin. he had brought lots of food for lunch. he had even made himself his favorite foods: stir-fried beef tripe and honey rice cake. beomgyu was trying to gain weight.

"woah, that's a lot of food," hueningkai commented.

beomgyu looked up at the younger boy. hueningkai raised his hands, "sorry! ignore me, i didn't mean to be rude."

beomgyu laughed, "it's fine. i'm trying to gain weight."

the three other boys looked at beomgyu. "beom, you're perfect the way you are." soobin smiled at the raven-haired boy.

beomgyu smiled slightly at soobin, then continued eating.

beomgyu ate more and more, trying to fill himself up. hoping, praying he would gain some weight.

beomgyu finished the food, completely stuffed. it was difficult for beomgyu to finish that much food; he had a small appetite.

beomgyu felt nausea set in his stomach. he clutched his abdomen, eyes closing.

"what's wrong?" soobin asked. his voice held worry. beomgyu didn't like when others worried for him.

"tummy ache," beomgyu replied, eyes closed and face contorted in pain.

"do you need so-"

a shadow fell over the table. beomgyu knew who was standing at their table. kim woojin, who had been coming to their table during lunch for the past week, terrorizing the four boys.

"awww. little choi has a stomach ache from eating too much? are you trying to put on some weight so you'll no longer be a wimp?"

wimp.

beomgyu absolutely hated that word.

beomgyu felt anger course through him every time someone directed that word towards himself or anyone else.

"are you sure you're not jealous that i'm skinnier than you? i mean, that could explain why you keep coming over here," beomgyu raised his gaze to woojin, who was looking down at beomgyu in anger.

"how dare you talk back?" woojin hissed at the younger boy, his eyes narrowed.

"what are you gonna do about it?" beomgyu asked, raising an eyebrow. the boy had no idea where his sudden confidence was coming from. maybe he was tired of being called names that weren't true. or, maybe he was tired of seeing woojin's face every single school day.

"beomgyu, don't-" soobin tried to speak but was interrupted when woojin's hand gripped beomgyu's collar, pulling the shorter boy up. (woojin is 6'1 in this)

woojin's hand held beomgyu's collar tightly as the older boy towered over the younger.

"dare to say that to me again?" woojin had a scary expression on his face, and beomgyu felt a slight twinge of fear.

beomgyu noticed a crowd had gathered around the two boys, and beomgyu remembered the past events that took place at his school in the u.s.

beomgyu no longer wanted to be called 'wimp.' he no longer wanted to see woojin every day. to make these wishes come true, beomgyu realized that he would have to defend himself.

"don't call me wimp." beomgyu narrowed his eyes at the older boy, clenching his fist.

then, he swung.

and hit woojin square in the nose, seeing red liquid gush out.

"why, you little bitch." woojin held his nose, stepping back. then he made his way towards beomgyu.

beomgyu gulped, feeling his confidence shrink a little.

woojin raised his hand.

beomgyu closed his eyes, preparing to feel the hit.

but it never came.

beomgyu opened his eyes, hearing everyone's gasps.

beomgyu saw a boy standing in front of him. woojin's eyes were widened.

then, beomgyu heard the whispers.

"woojin just punched kang taehyun. the kang taehyun."

taehyun had defended beomgyu? but why? beomgyu was confused, to say the least.

in a blink of an eye, taehyun had woojin on the ground, knocked out.

taehyun turned towards beomgyu. "are you okay?" the boy asked the other.

"y-yes, but are you?" beomgyu stuttered as he asked taehyun, feeling guilty at the red mark on his upper cheek which would probably become a nasty bruise.

taehyun didn't reply. he held an unreadable expression in his eyes. he quickly and quietly walked away from the scene, leaving beomgyu and many others with a countless amount of questions.

taehyung walked towards beomgyu, the crowd of people already disappearing. "beom, are you okay?" taehyung asked with concern, scanning his face for any sign of injury.

"i'm good. someone saved me... h-he was like... my guardian angel." beomgyu blurted out, soon covering his mouth.

"your guardian angel, huh?" taehyung snickered.

"the adrenaline made me say that, i swear." beomgyu gulped, his cheeks heating up.

"okay, okay," taehyung laughed, "but you need to say thank you to him for taking the punch for you."

"i know. i have him in one of my classes tomorrow. i'll say thank you then," beomgyu smiled slightly.

"beomgyu, are you okay?" hueningkai raced towards the two brothers, soobin and jeongin trailing behind him.

"i'm okay, please don't worry," beomgyu responded. he hated making people worried.

"why did kang taehyun rescue you? he has never done something like that for anyone," soobin questioned, voicing his thoughts out loud.

beomgyu shrugged. he had no idea why the boy who had rejected his request to become friends protected him. beomgyu decided that he would ask the next day.